This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

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section.

Notices Federal Register

39990 

Vol. 86, No. 140 

Monday, July 26, 2021 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of Partnerships and Public 

Engagement 

[FOA No.: OPPE–016] 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.443— 

Outreach and Assistance for Socially 

Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 

and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers 

AGENCY: Office of Partnerships and 

Public Engagement (OPPE), Agriculture 

(USDA). 

ACTION: Funding Opportunity 

Announcement (FOA) for fiscal year 

2021. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

availability of funds for fiscal year (FY) 

2021 and solicits applications from 

community-based and non-profit 

organizations, institutions of higher 

education, and Tribal entities to 

compete for financial assistance through 

the Outreach and technical assistance 

for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and 

Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and 

Ranchers Program (hereinafter referred 

to as the ‘‘2501 Program’’). The overall 

goal of the 2501 Program is to encourage 

and assist socially disadvantaged 

farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers 

and ranchers, and beginning farmers 

and ranchers with owning and operating 

farms and ranches and in participating 

equitably in the full range of 

agricultural, forestry, and related 

programs offered by USDA. In 

partnership with the OPPE, eligible 

entities may compete for funding on 

projects that provide education and 

training in agriculture, agribusiness, 

forestry, agriculturally related services, 

and USDA programs, and to conduct 

outreach initiatives designed to 

accomplish those goals. This 

partnership includes working closely 

with OPPE, attend OPPE-led events in 

your proposed service territory, and 

collaborate with your State Food and 

Agriculture Council (SFAC). The SFAC 

consists of leadership in each state of 

the following agencies: Farm Service 

Agency, Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, and Rural Development. 

DATES: Only one project proposal may 

be submitted per eligible entity. 

Proposals must be submitted through 

Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) and 

received by August 25, 2021, at 11:59 

p.m. EDT. Proposals submitted after this 

deadline will not be considered for 

funding. 

ADDRESSES: The OPPE will host two (2) 

webinars during the open period of this 

announcement as provided below. 

Sessions will be recorded. Additional 

sessions may be necessary to answer 

questions and clarify requirements. 

There is no registration required to 

participate. 

Session 1: July 28, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. 

EDT—To join the conference, click: 

https://ems8.intellor.com/login/839760 

Follow the prompts to connect audio by 

computer or telephone. If you are 

unable to join the web conference or 

require a non-US phone number, click 

here. Access Code: 5066171#. 

Session 2: August 10, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. 

EDT—To join the conference, click: 

https://ems8.intellor.com/login/839761 

Follow the prompts to connect audio by 

computer or telephone. If you are 

unable to join the web conference or 

require a non-U.S. phone number, click 

here. Access Code: 7821646#. 

Filing a Complaint of Discrimination 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, you may obtain a complaint 

form by sending an email to OAC@

usda.gov. You or your authorized 

representative must sign the complaint 

form. You are not required to use the 

complaint form. You may write a letter 

instead. If you write a letter, it must 

contain all the information requested in 

the form and be signed by you or your 

authorized representative. Incomplete 

information will delay the processing of 

your complaint. Employment civil 

rights complaints will not be accepted 

through this email address. 

Send your completed complaint form 

or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email: 

Mail: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Director, Center for Civil Rights 

Enforcement, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

9410. 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

Fax: (202) 690–7442. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Office of 

Partnerships and Public Engagement, 

Attn: Kenya Nicholas, Program Director, 

Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 520– 

A, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250. 

Phone: (202) 720–6350. 

Fax: (202) 720–7704. 

Email: 501Grants@usda.gov. 

Persons with Disabilities: Persons who 

require alternative means for 

communication (Braille large print, 

audiotape, etc.), should contact USDA’s 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TDD). Additionally, 

alternative means for submissions due 

to disability status will be approved on 

a case-by-case basis. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Funding/ 

Awards: The total funding provided for 

this competitive program is 

approximately $16.6 million as 

provided in the 2018 Farm Bill. 

The OPPE will award grants from this 

announcement, subject to availability of 

funds and the quality of applications 

received. All applicants will compete 

based on their organization’s entity type 

(e.g., nonprofit organization, tribal 

entity, or higher education institution), 

as described below. The project period 

must be three (3) years for all proposals. 

The maximum amount of requested 

federal funding for projects shall not 

exceed $750,000 over the 3-year period. 

Additionally, the maximum award per 

year is $250,000. Projects will be funded 

in accordance with the approved 

statement of work and the OPPE 

Guidelines to maximize outreach, 

education and technical assistance 

ensuring geographical distribution of 

funds as required in section 7 U.S.C. 

2279(c)(4)(G). 

Funds will be awarded to eligible 

entities that have at least three (3) years 

of documented experience, preceding 

the submission of an application, in 

working with socially disadvantaged 

farmers and ranchers or veteran farmers 

and ranchers to improve their ability to 

start and maintain successful forestry 

and/or agricultural-related operations. 

The Secretary shall give priority to 

nongovernmental and community-based 

organizations with demonstrated history 

of serving socially disadvantaged and 


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veteran farmers and ranchers (see 

Section V. Application Review 

Information). 

An applicant MUST be an entity or 

organization. Individuals and for-profit 

organizations do not meet the eligibility 

criteria. 

Funds under this program may not be 

used for the planning, repair, 

rehabilitation, acquisition, or 

construction of a building or facility. 

Program funds may not be used for startup or financing costs for businesses. 

Additionally, funds may not be used for 

an organization’s capacity building, 

which is defined as the development of 

organizational competencies, strategies, 

or systems and structures in order to 

improve organizational efficiency and 

effectiveness. Program funds may also 

not be used as small agricultural loans 

for individual farmers or used to 

incentivize individuals to attend an 

event. Finally, large equipment 

purchases such as vehicles, semitractors, or refrigeration systems are 

unallowable under this program. 

Eligible entities may receive 

subsequent years funding provided that: 

(a) Activities and associated costs do 

not overlap with projects awarded in 

previous years; and 

(b) Recipients are current and 

compliant with financial and 

performance reporting. The progress of 

existing projects, along with the 

percentage of funds used to date, may 

impact funding decisions. 

Funding will be awarded based on 

ranked scores comprised of the three 

categories described below, along with 

the amount of anticipated funding for 

each category. The OPPE has discretion 

to allocate funding among the three 

categories based upon the number and 

quality of applications received. There 

is no commitment by the OPPE to fund 

any particular application nor is there a 

minimum number of recipients within 

each category. 

Category #1: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.2, III.A.3, 

and III.A.4 

(1890 Land-Grant colleges and 

universities, 1994 Tribal Land-Grant, 

Alaska Native and American Indian 

Tribal colleges and universities, and 

Hispanic-Serving Institutions of higher 

education). 

Category #2: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.1 and III.A.6 

(i.e., nonprofit organizations, 

community-based organizations, 

including a network or a coalition of 

community-based organizations, 

Federally-recognized Indian Tribes (as 

defined in 25 U.S.C. 5131), and National 

Tribal organizations). 

Category #3: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.5 and III.A.7 

(i.e., all other institutions of higher 

education including 1862 colleges, 

nonprofit organizations without a 

501(c)(3) status certification from the 

IRS, and an organization or institution 

that received funding under this 

program before January 1, 1996). 

Contents of This Announcement: 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

A. Background 

B. Scope of Work 

C. Anticipated Outputs (Activities), 

Outcomes (Results), and Performance 

Measures 

II. Award Information 

A. Statutory Authority 

B. Expected Amount of Funding 

C. Project Period 

D. Award Type 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Entities 

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching 

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria 

IV. Proposal and Submission Information 

A. Data Universal Numbering System 

B. System for Award Management (SAM) 

C. Obtain Proposal Package From 

Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) 

D. Content of Proposal Package Submission 

E. Sub-Awards and Partnerships 

F. Submission Dates and Times 

G. Confidential Information 

H. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance 

V. Application Review Information 

A. Evaluation Criteria 

B. Evaluation Criteria for New Grants 

Proposals 

C. Selection of Reviewers 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

C. Reporting Requirement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

A. Background 

The OPPE is committed to ensuring 

that socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers can equitably 

participate in USDA programs. 

Differences in demographics, culture, 

economics, language, and other factors 

preclude a single approach to 

identifying solutions that can benefit 

underserved farmers and ranchers. 

Grants are provided to communitybased and non-profit organizations, 

higher education institutions, eligible 

Tribal entities and other eligible entities 

with at least three (3) years of 

documented experience, preceding the 

submission of an application. Eligible 

entities working with socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or 

veteran farmers and ranchers can 

improve their ability to start and 

maintain successful forestry and/or 

agricultural-related operations. With 

2501 Program funding, organizations 

can provide agricultural outreach and 

technical assistance and extend 

outreach and education efforts to 

connect with and assist socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers to provide them with 

information on available USDA 

resources. 

1. The 2501 Program was authorized 

by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 

and Trade Act of 1990. The Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

expanded the authority of the Secretary 

of Agriculture (the Secretary) to provide 

awards under the program and 

transferred the administrative authority 

to the OPPE. The Agricultural Act of 

2014 further expanded the program to 

include outreach and technical 

assistance to veterans. The 2501 

Program extends USDA’s capacity to 

work with members of farming and 

ranching communities by funding 

projects that enhance the equitable 

participation of socially disadvantaged 

and veteran farmers and ranchers in 

USDA programs. It is the OPPE’s 

intention to build lasting relationships 

among USDA, recipient organizations, 

and socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers to maximize the 

availability of outreach and technical 

assistance in targeted communities. 

2. Only one proposal will be accepted 

from each organization. This does not 

apply to applicants in the State of 

Massachusetts. The State fiscal transfer 

agent may submit multiple proposals 

ensuring that only one proposal is 

submitted on behalf of each of its 

individual fiscally sponsored 

organizations. 

B. Scope of Work 

The 2501 Program provides funding 

to eligible organizations with at least 3 

years of documented experience, 

preceding the submission of an 

application, in working with socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or 

veteran farmers and ranchers to improve 

their ability to start and maintain 

successful forestry and/or agriculturalrelated operations. This is a nonconstruction grant. Proposals must be 

consistent with requirements stated in 7 

U.S.C. 2279(c)(3). Under this statute, the 

outreach and technical assistance 

program funds shall be used 

exclusively: 

1. To enhance coordination of the 

outreach, technical assistance, 

education, and training efforts 

authorized under USDA agriculture 

programs; 

2. To assist the Secretary of 

Agriculture in: 

a. Reaching current and prospective 

socially disadvantaged farmers or 


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ranchers, veteran farmers or ranchers, or 

beginning farmers and ranchers in a 

linguistically appropriate manner; and 

b. improving the participation of 

those farmers and ranchers in USDA 

programs. 

There are five programmatic mission 

areas that support the goals of the 2501 

Program. Proposals from eligible entities 

must address at least two of the five 

following programmatic mission areas 

as they develop their goals: 

i. Assist socially disadvantaged, 

veteran farmers and ranchers, or 

beginning farmers and ranchers in 

owning and operating successful farms 

and ranches; 

ii. Improve participation among 

socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers and ranchers in USDA 

programs; 

iii. Build relationships between 

current and prospective farmers and 

ranchers who are socially disadvantaged 

or veterans and USDA’s local, state, 

regional, and National offices; 

iv. Assist in reaching current and 

prospective socially disadvantaged 

farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners 

in a linguistically appropriate manner; 

and 

v. Assist with identifying problems 

and barriers identified by entities in 

trying to increase participation by 

current and prospective socially 

disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. 

The OPPE shall seek input from 

eligible entities providing technical 

assistance under this subsection not less 

than once each year to ensure that the 

program is responsive to the eligible 

entities providing that technical 

assistance (7 U.S.C. 2279(c)(4)(J)). The 

OPPE may require Project Directors to 

attend an Annual Meeting that can be 

expensed with awarded grant funds not 

to exceed $1,800 per award year. The 

Annual Meeting will allow participants, 

USDA officials, and other agriculturerelated industry participants to network, 

encourage partnerships, share best 

practices (including COVID-related 

strategies used to assist targeted 

communities), discuss programmatic 

requirements, share information on new 

and enhanced USDA programs and 

services, and obtain programmatic 

feedback. Stakeholder input will also be 

accepted by those unable to attend the 

Annual Meeting in person by September 

30th of each fiscal year at: 2501Grants@

usda.gov. 

C. Anticipated Outputs (Activities), 

Outcomes (Results), and Performance 

Measures 

1. Outputs (Activities). The term 

‘‘output’’ means an outreach, 

educational component, or assistance 

activity, task, or associated work 

product related to improving the ability 

of socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers and ranchers to own and 

operate farms and ranches, assistance 

with agriculture related activities, or 

guidance for participation in USDA 

programs. Outputs must be measurable 

during the period of performance. 

Outputs describe an organization’s 

activities and their participants such as: 

Number of workshops or meetings held 

and number of participants attending 

(including a list of participants with 

contact information); frequency of 

services or training delivered and to 

whom; development of products or 

resources provided. Other examples 

include but are not limited to the 

following: 

a. Serve 300 socially disadvantaged 

and/or veteran farmers or ranchers by 

the end of the grant; 

b. Conduct 12 workshops or training 

through virtual and/or in-person 

sessions, regarding animal husbandry, 

annually; 

c. Assist 100 new farmers/ranchers to 

be able to process and accept SNAP 

payments; 

d. Host 72 demonstrations on hoop 

house construction at the rate of 2 per 

month over a three-year period; 

e. Develop a program to enhance the 

operational viability of socially 

disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers 

and ranchers; 

f. Conduct Title Resolution 

Consultations for 10 socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers 

with forest land, 3 of whom will receive 

title resolution plans & legal technical 

assistance annually; 

g. Provide assistance to 300 socially 

disadvantaged farmers resulting in the 

submission of FSA loan and grant 

applications to expand farming 

operations at the rate of 25 per quarter 

per fiscal year; or 

h. Hold 12 workshops annually to 

provide socially disadvantaged or 

veteran farmers and ranchers training in 

writing business plans, financial literacy 

or in automating their farming business. 

2. Outcomes (Results). The term 

‘‘outcome’’ means the difference or 

effect that has occurred as a result from 

carrying out an activity, workshop, 

meeting, or from delivery of services 

related to a programmatic goal or 

objective. It is also the final impact or 

change that occurs as a direct result of 

the activities performed in 

accomplishing the objectives and goals 

of your project. Outcomes may refer to 

results that are agricultural, behavioral, 

social, or economic in nature. Outcomes 

may reflect an increase in knowledge or 

skills, a greater awareness of available 

resources or programs, or actions taken 

by stakeholders as a result of learning. 

Specifically, outcomes must be 

quantitative as it relates to the project 

goals and objectives. Project Directors 

will be required to document 

anticipated outcomes that are funded 

under this announcement including, but 

not limited to the following: 

a. Documenting the actual number of 

new farmers and/or ranchers your 

organization assisted as a result of your 

project and the type of assistance (i.e., 

number of farms or ranches started, 

maintained, or improved as a result of 

funds made available under the 

program); 

b. Documenting race, sex, national 

origin, disability (if provided) and 

number of socially disadvantaged and/ 

or veteran farmers or ranchers applying 

for USDA programs and services by 

program area; 

c. Documenting race, sex, national 

origin, disability (if provided) and 

number of USDA program applications 

approved for funding, by program area, 

for socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers or ranchers as a result of your 

activities; 

d. Documenting the number of 

socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers and/or ranchers that have better 

access to USDA Programs as a result of 

your outreach and/or training efforts; 

e. Documenting the enhanced 

sustainability and retention of farming 

operations among socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

ranchers; 

f. Documenting higher profitability 

and economic stability among socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

ranchers resulting from increased access 

to marketing and enhanced sales 

opportunities for their products; and 

g. Documenting through surveys an 

increase in the awareness and number 

and types of USDA programs and 

services as a result of your project. 

3. Project Performance Measures. 

Project performance measures are tied to 

the goals or objectives of each activity 

and ultimately the overall purpose of 

the project. They provide progress and 

completion information of proposed 

activities and may indicate areas where 

a project may need adjustments. 

Applicants must develop performance 

measure targets for each of the proposed 

activities. These targets will be used as 

a mechanism to track the progress and 

success of the project. Project 

performance measures must include the 

assumptions used to make those 

estimates. Specifically, outcomes must 

be quantitative as it relates to the project 

goals and objectives. 


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Consider the following questions 

when developing performance 

measurement statements: 

• What are the measurable short-term 

and long-term goals our project will 

have on serving the needs of our 

stakeholders? 

• How will my organization measure 

the effectiveness and efficiency of our 

proposed activities to meet the overall 

goals and objectives for this project? 

• Will agriculture producers or 

beginning farmers and ranchers gain an 

understanding in production, 

marketing, business management, and 

legal business issues? Will they develop 

their business acumen or implement or 

incorporate what they have learned? 

• How will I collect those 

performance measurement data? What 

evidence will I use with this measure? 

II. Award Information 

A. Statutory Authority 

The statutory authority for this action 

is 7 U.S.C. 2279(c), which authorizes 

award funding for projects designed to 

provide outreach and technical 

assistance to socially disadvantaged or 

veteran farmers or ranchers. 

B. Expected Amount of Funding 

The total estimated funding expected 

to be available for awards under this 

competitive opportunity is 

approximately $16.6 million. The 

maximum amount of requested federal 

funding shall not exceed $750,000. 

C. Project Period 

The performance period for projects 

selected from this solicitation will not 

begin prior to the effective award date 

listed in the grant agreement. The 

project period must be no less three (3) 

years. 

D. Award Type 

Funding for selected projects will be 

in the form of a grant agreement which 

must be fully executed no later than 

September 30 annually. The anticipated 

Federal involvement will include, but 

not limited to, the following activities: 

1. Approval of recipients’ final budget 

and Project Narrative or statement of 

work accompanying the grant 

agreement; 

2. Monitoring of recipients’ 

performance through semi-annual and 

final financial and performance reports; 

and 

3. Conducting on-site monitoring 

visits to review compliance, use of 

Federal funds and fidelity in 

implementing the project. 

All award notifications will be 

‘‘conditionally approved’’ pending final 

validation of all selected applicants’ 

submission documentation and/or 

application package. OPPE reserves the 

right not to fund any ‘‘conditionally 

approved’’ application(s) found to be 

ineligible after final validation. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Entities 

1. Any non-profit, community-based 

organizations, tribal entity, networks, or 

a coalition of community-based 

organizations with at least 3 years of 

documented expertise in working with 

socially disadvantaged farmers or 

ranchers or veteran farmers or ranchers 

that: 

• Demonstrates experience in 

providing agricultural education or 

other agriculturally related services on 

USDA programs and services to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

ranchers; 

• provides documentary evidence of 

work with, and on behalf of, socially 

disadvantaged, veteran farmers or 

ranchers, or beginning farmers and 

ranchers during the 3-year period 

preceding the submission of a proposal 

for assistance under this program (the 

lead applicant and/or any 

organization(s) comprising of a coalition 

or network must meet the three-year 

period preceding the submission 

criteria); and 

• does not or has not engaged in 

activities prohibited under Section 

501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 

of 1986.2. 

2. An 1890 or 1994 land-grant 

institution of higher education (as 

defined in 7 U.S.C. 7601 and in Section 

533 of the Equity in Educational LandGrant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 

note)). 

3. An American Indian Tribal 

community college or university or an 

Alaska Native cooperative college. 

4. A Hispanic-Serving Institution of 

higher education (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 

3103). 

5. Any other institution of higher 

education (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1001) 

that has demonstrated experience in 

providing agricultural education or 

other agricultural-related services to 

socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers or ranchers. 

6. Any Federally-recognized Indian 

Tribe (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5131) or 

a national tribal organization that has 

demonstrated experience in providing 

agricultural education or other 

agriculturally related services to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

ranchers. 

7. All other organizations or 

institutions that received funding under 

this program before January 1, 1996, but 

only with respect to projects that the 

Secretary considers similar to projects 

previously carried out by the entity 

under this program. 

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching 

There are no cost-sharing nor 

matching requirements associated with 

this program. Applicants may charge 

their negotiated indirect cost rate or 10 

percent, whichever is lower. Indirect 

cost rates exceeding 10 percent will not 

be permitted. 

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria 

Applications from eligible entities 

that meet all criteria will be evaluated 

as follows: 

1. Proposals must comply with the 

submission instructions and 

requirements set forth in Section IV of 

this announcement. Pages greater than 

the page limitation will not be 

considered. 

2. Proposals must be received through 

Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) as 

specified in Section IV of this 

announcement on or before the proposal 

submission deadline. Applicants will 

receive an electronic confirmation 

receipt of their proposal from 

Grants.gov. 

3. Proposals received after the 

submission deadline will not be 

considered. Note that in order to submit 

proposals, organizations must create 

accounts in Grants.gov and in the 

System for Awards Management 

(www.SAM.gov); both of which could 

take several weeks. Therefore, it is 

strongly suggested that organizations 

begin this process immediately. 

Registering early could prevent 

unforeseen delays in submitting your 

proposal. 

4. Proposals must address a minimum 

of two programmatic mission areas 

listed in Section I, Part B, (i–v) to 

provide outreach and technical 

assistance to socially disadvantaged or 

veteran farmers or ranchers. 

5. Recipients of a 2501 Grant with a 

Period of Performance that extends 

beyond 90 days of the current fiscal year 

are not eligible to apply (this does not 

apply to grantees with a no-cost 

extension). For example, current 2501 

Grant recipients must complete their 

projects by the end of the current 

calendar year, to be eligible to apply. 

6. Incomplete or partial applications 

will not be eligible for consideration. 

Any required documents missing from 

an applicant’s application will render 

that applicant ineligible and the 

application will not be forwarded to the 

External Peer Review Panel (the Panel) 

for review. Additionally, applications 

may not be accepted for review if they 


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exceed the maximum allowable pages 

for the Project Narrative, exceed the 

maximum federal budget request, or 

propose objectives that do not fit the 

purpose and scope of the 2501 Program. 

See Section IV. Content of Proposal 

Package Submission, subparagraph D, 

for required documents. 

IV. Proposal and Submission 

Information 

A. Data Universal Numbering System 

In accordance with the Federal 

Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act (FFATA) and the 

USDA implementation, all applicants 

must obtain and provide an identifying 

number from Dun and Bradstreet’s 

(D&B) Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS). Applicants can receive 

a DUNS number, at no cost, by calling 

the toll-free DUNS number request line 

at (866) 705–5711 or visiting the D&B 

website at www.dnb.com. 

B. System for Award Management 

(SAM) 

SAM.gov streamlines the application 

process and reduces applicant burden 

by enabling applicants to complete the 

required Financial Assistance 

Representations and Certifications in 

SAM.gov when applying for any Federal 

assistance. 

It is a requirement to register for SAM 

(www.sam.gov). There is NO fee to 

register for this site. This registration 

must be maintained and updated 

annually. Applicants can register or 

update their profile, at no cost, by 

visiting the SAM website at 

www.sam.gov. This is a requirement to 

registering for Grants.gov where all 

organizations must submit their 

application. 

Depending on the type of Federal 

Assistance your organization requests, 

you may need to complete the Federal 

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) report, 

but for OPPE Federal assistance, you 

must complete the Financial Assistance 

Representations and Certifications 

Report. Completing this report certifies 

that your organization is in compliance 

with all relevant provisions of Federal 

laws, executive orders, regulations, and 

public policies governing financial 

assistance awards. 

Per 2 CFR part 200, applicants are 

required to: (1) Be registered in SAM 

prior to submitting an application; (2) 

provide a valid unique entity identifier 

in the application; and (3) continue to 

maintain an active SAM registration 

with current information at all times 

during which the organization has an 

active Federal award or an application 

or plan under consideration by a 

Federal awarding agency. The OPPE 

may not make a Federal award to an 

applicant until the applicant has 

complied with all applicable unique 

entity identifier and SAM requirements. 

If an applicant has not fully complied 

with the requirements by the time the 

OPPE is ready to make a Federal award, 

the OPPE may determine that the 

applicant is not qualified to receive a 

Federal award and use that 

determination as a basis for making a 

Federal award to another applicant. 

Additionally, organizations found to 

have unresolved key personnel 

exclusions will not be awarded. 

SAM contains the publicly available 

data for all active exclusion records 

entered by the Federal Government 

identifying those parties excluded from 

receiving Federal contracts, certain 

subcontracts, and certain types of 

Federal financial and non-financial 

assistance and benefits. All applicant 

organizations and their key personnel 

will be vetted through SAM to ensure 

compliance with this requirement. 

Organizations identified as having 

delinquent Federal debt may contact the 

Treasury Offset Program at (800) 304– 

3107 for instructions on resolution but 

will not be awarded a 2501 Program 

grant prior to resolution. 

Should an applicant be awarded a 

grant, ezFedGrants (USDA’s financial 

grants management system) is linked 

with SAM to ensure funding payments 

are directed properly as entities must 

enter their banking information through 

SAM; as a result Federal agencies 

cannot award funding to any 

organization not properly/fully 

registered is SAM. 

C. Obtain Proposal Package From 

Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) 

Federal agencies post competitive 

funding opportunities on Grants.gov 

and applicants must submit their 

application or proposal to apply for 

Federal assistance through Grants.gov. 

Applicants can learn about grants by 

visiting Grants.gov (www.grants.gov), 

clicking on the Learn Grants tab and 

search for funding opportunities by 

clicking on the Search Grants tab on this 

site. 

All Applicants will be required to 

register with Grants.gov in order to 

begin the proposal submission process. 

We strongly suggest you initiate this 

process immediately to avoid processing 

delays due to registration requirements. 

There is no cost for registration. This 

website is managed by the Department 

of Health and Human Services, not the 

OPPE. Many Federal agencies use this 

website to post Funding Opportunity 

Announcements (FOA). Click on the 

‘‘Support’’ tab to contact their customer 

support personnel if you need help with 

submitting your application. 

Applicants may download individual 

grant proposal forms from Grants.gov. 

For assistance with Grants.gov, consult 

the Applicant User Guide at http://

grants.gov/assets/ 

ApplicantUserGuide.pdf. 

Federal agencies post funding 

opportunities on Grants.gov. The OPPE 

is not responsible for submission issues 

associated with Grants.gov. If you 

experience submission issues, contact 

Grants.gov support staff for assistance. 

Proposals must be submitted by 

August 25, 2021, via Grants.gov at 11:59 

p.m. EDT. Proposals submitted after this 

deadline will not be considered. 

D. Content of Proposal Package 

Submission 

All submissions must contain 

completed and electronically signed 

original application forms, as well as a 

Project Narrative and a Budget Narrative 

as described below: 

1. Required forms, documents, and 

attachments. The forms listed below can 

be found in the proposal package at 

Grants.gov and must be submitted with 

all applications. Required forms are 

provided in the package as fillable 

forms. Applicants must download and 

complete these forms and submit them 

in the application submission portal at 

Grants.gov. PDF documents listed below 

are documents the applicant must create 

and submit in PDF format. Use the 

checklist of required documents below 

to submit your application through 

Grants.gov: 

✓ Standard Form (SF) 424, Application 

for Federal Assistance 

✓ Project/Performance Site Location(s) 

✓ Project Abstract Summary 

✓ Project Narrative (in PDF format) 

✓ Standard Form (SF) 424A, Budget 

Information—Non-Construction 

Programs 

✓ Budget Narrative (in PDF format) 

✓ Key Contacts 

✓ Grants.gov Lobbying Form 

✓ Articles of Incorporation for nonprofit organizations & communitybased organization; attach under 

‘‘Attachments Form’’—see next bullet) 

✓ Attachments Form (where you may 

place all your appendices, i.e., Letters 

of Partnership, Letters of Intent, 

Resumes, Articles of Incorporation, 

other supporting documents, etc.) 

Do not include lengthy or 

unnecessary organizational documents 

such as your organization’s business 

plans, Annual Reports, or full course or 

training curriculums in your 

application. Excessively large 


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documents in applications are 

cumbersome and increase downloading 

errors from Grants.gov and in 

forwarding to the Panel members. 

Note, additional required forms from 

organizations being awarded 2501 Grant 

funds will be provided for execution 

upon grant approval if necessary. 

Below is further guidance, where 

needed, for completing the required 

forms, documents, and attachment 

forms listed above. 

SF–424, Application for Federal 

Assistance: Complete all highlighted 

areas on this form. Pay particular 

attention to block 18a of the SF–424. 

This is the total amount of Federal 

funding you are requesting under the 

2501 Program. This form is the official 

requesting document and the amount 

that will be considered if you should 

have any discrepancies between this 

form and your Budget Information 

Form, SF–424A. Ensure this form is 

completed with accuracy, particularly 

email addresses and phone numbers. 

The OPPE may not be able to reach you 

if your information is incorrect. 

Project/Performance Site Location(s): 

Complete all highlighted areas on this 

form. Add additional locations if your 

project will be carried out at additional 

sites. 

Project Abstract Summary: A Project 

Abstract Summary is a concise summary 

about your project. No points will be 

given or subtracted for the Project 

Summary Page as it will be used only 

for informational purposes. It may be 

used in its entirety or in part for media 

purposes to include in press releases, 

informational emails to potential 

stakeholders or partners, to provide 

upper echelons of government with a 

snapshot of an organization, and for 

demographic purposes. Do not restate 

the objectives of the 2501 Program (i.e., 

‘‘to provide outreach and technical 

assistance for socially disadvantaged 

farmers and ranchers and veterans 

farmers and ranchers’’); the Project 

Abstract Summary should reflect the 

goal of your specific project. Limit your 

Project Abstract Summary to 250 words 

and include the following: 

• Your organization’s name; 

• Name of your project; 

• Three or four sentences describing 

your project; 

• The primary populations/ 

communities you serve; 

• The project’s geographic service 

area (counties, state(s), etc.); and 

• Project Director’s name, email 

address, and telephone number. 

Project Narrative (not to exceed 30 

double-spaced pages): The Project 

Narrative is a document that you create. 

It must include a timeline of proposed 

activities. Formatting requirements for 

Project Narratives are 1-inch margins 

and 12-point font, Number each page of 

the Project Narrative to indicate the total 

number of pages (i.e., 1 of 30, 2 of 30, 

etc.). To ensure fairness and uniformity 

for all applicants, Project Narratives not 

conforming to this stipulation may not 

be considered. 

Project proposals should include a 

well-conceived strategy for addressing 

the programmatic mission areas stated 

in Section I, Part B, Scope of Work. 

Organizations should state which 

programmatic mission areas will be 

addressed. Additionally, proposals 

must: (1) Define and establish the 

existence of the needs of socially 

disadvantaged farmers or ranchers or 

veteran farmers or ranchers, or both; (2) 

identify the geographic area of service; 

and (3) discuss the potential impact of 

the project; (4) clearly state their 3-years 

of experience in delivering agriculture 

related services to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers and 

ranchers and provide documented 

proof; and (5) clearly document how 

you plan to fulfill the requirement to 

coordinate efforts in partnership with 

the OPPE and USDA’s SFAC to 

maximize outreach and training in your 

service territory. 

• Programmatic Capability: Project 

proposals must: (1) identify the 

experience of the organization(s) and 

key personnel taking part in the project 

(past successes); (2) identify the names 

of organizations that will be your 

partners in the project if any; (3) 

identify the qualifications, relevant 

experience, education, and publications 

of each Project Director or collaborator; 

and (4) specifically address the work to 

be completed by key personnel and 

their roles and responsibilities within 

the scope of the proposed project. This 

includes partnering scenarios whereas 

each partners’ roles and responsibilities 

must be defined. 

• Financial Management Experience: 

Document a demonstrated ability to 

successfully manage and complete your 

project by including details of past 

successfully completed projects and 

financial management experiences. 

• Tracking and Measuring: Clearly 

document a detailed plan for tracking 

and measuring project progress 

including the results of the project in 

terms of achieving expected project 

outputs and outcomes as stated in 

Section I, Part C, Performance Measures. 

This could include the tracking of the 

projected number of socially 

disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers 

and ranchers assisted in comparison to 

the actual, number of socially 

disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers 

and ranchers that have applied to USDA 

programs and services versus how many 

were funded, etc. 

• In an organized format, create a 

timeline for each task to be 

accomplished during the period of 

performance timeframe. Relate each task 

to one of the five programmatic mission 

areas in Section I, Part B. The timeline 

is part of the 30-page limit but can be 

as simple as a one-page description of 

tasks. The timeline may be in a table 

format and does not have to be doublespaced. 

Attach your Project Narrative in PDF 

format to the Mandatory Project 

Narrative form in your Grants.gov 

package. 

SF–424A, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs: Provide as 

much information as possible on the 

SF–424A, particularly for multi-year 

projects. For example, on page 1 of SF– 

424A, line 1 across may indicate year 

one of your project, line 2 across may 

indicate year two of your project, and 

line 3 across may indicate year three of 

your project. On page 1A of SF–424A, 

columns 1 through 3 may represent each 

year of your project. All cost categories 

on page 1A of this form are considered 

direct costs. Remember that your 

indirect cost rate may not exceed the 10 

percent statutory limitation on indirect 

costs found in 7 U.S.C. 2279(l)(7). 

Budget Narrative (not to exceed 5 

pages): The Budget Narrative is a 

document that you create. It must be no 

more than five pages. It does NOT have 

to be double spaced. You may use 

tables. While the Federal awarding 

agency understands that your proposed 

budget is an estimation of costs, your 

Budget Narrative should be based on 

financial forecasting assumptions. The 

Budget Narrative should identify and 

describe the costs associated with the 

proposed project, including sub-awards 

or contracts and indirect costs. These 

costs should be very detailed and 

descriptive as to their purpose. Review 

2 CFR part 200 Subpart E—Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards to ensure your project 

is not planned with unallowable costs. 

Applicants may charge their negotiated 

indirect cost rate or 10 percent, 

whichever is lower. Indirect cost rates 

exceeding 10 percent will not be 

permitted. Other funding sources may 

also be identified in the Budget 

Narrative. Each cost indicated must be 

reasonable, allocable, necessary, and 

allowable under Federal Cost Principles 

(2 CFR part 200, subpart E—Cost 

Principles) in order to be funded. 

• Cost categories, also called Object 

Class Categories, include costs for 


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Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, 

Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, 

Construction, and Other costs. 

D Personnel costs: For each key staff 

person, provide the name (if known), 

title, time commitment to the project as 

a percentage of a full-time equivalent 

(FTE), annual salary, and grant funded 

salary. You may refer to the prevailing 

wage rates established by the 

Department of Labor by occupation and 

geographical area. Compensation for 

personnel services (whether classified 

as personnel, contractual services, or 

any other form) may not exceed the prorated equivalent of Step III of the 

Executive Schedule for Federal 

Employees. 

D Costs of consultants, subgrants, or 

contractors should be included in the 

‘‘Contractual’’ cost category. 

D Fringe Benefits: Provide a breakdown of amounts and percentages that 

comprise fringe benefit costs such as 

health insurance, FICA, retirement, etc. 

D Travel costs: Provide specifics on 

purpose of travel, number of travelers, 

destination, and estimates on costs for 

airfare, lodging, meals, car rentals, and 

incidentals. The Federal Travel 

Regulations should be used as a guide. 

D Equipment: Any article of 

nonexpendable, tangible personal 

property having a useful life of more 

than one year and an acquisition costs 

which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) 

the capitalization level established by 

the organization for financial statement 

purposes, or (b) $5,000. For each type of 

equipment requested, provide a 

description of the equipment, the cost 

per unit, the number of units, the total 

cost, and a plan for use on the project, 

as well as use or disposal of the 

equipment after the project ends. The 

Recipient shall maintain an annual 

inventory, which will include a brief 

description of the item, serial number, 

and amount of purchase for equipment 

purchased with grant funds, or received 

under a grant, and having a $5,000 or 

more per unit cost. The inventory must 

also identify the sub-award under which 

the equipment was purchased. 

Maintenance and insurance will be the 

responsibility of the Recipient. Title of 

equipment will remain with the 

Recipient until closeout when 

disposition will be provided in writing 

by OPPE within 120 days of submission 

of final reports. 

D Supplies: Specify general categories 

of supplies and their costs. Show 

computations and provide other 

information which supports the amount 

requested. 

D Contractual costs: Costs should 

entail all contracts for services and 

goods that further the work of the 

project only. 

• Include third party evaluation 

contracts (if applicable) and contracts 

with secondary recipient organizations. 

Demonstrate that all procurement 

transactions will be conducted in a 

manner to provide, to the maximum 

extent practical, free, fair, and open 

competition. Identify proposed subcontractor work and the cost of each 

sub-contractor. Provide a detailed 

budget for each sub-contractor that is 

expected to perform work estimated to 

be $30,000 or more, or 50% of the total 

work effort, whichever is less. 

• Identify each planned subcontractor 

and its total proposed budget. Each 

subcontractor’s budget and supporting 

detail should be included as part of the 

applicant’s budget narrative. 

• Provide the following information 

for each planned subcontract: A brief 

description of the work to be 

subcontracted; the number of quotes 

solicited and received, if applicable; the 

cost or price analysis performed by the 

applicant; names and addresses of the 

subcontractors tentatively selected and 

the basis for their selection; e.g., unique 

capabilities (for sole source 

subcontracts), low bidder, delivery 

schedule, technical competence; type of 

contract and estimated cost and fee or 

profit; and, affiliation with the 

applicant, if any. 

• Include all Subawards under 

Contractual Costs. Per 2 CFR part 200.1, 

Subaward means an award provided by 

a pass-through entity to a subrecipient 

for the subrecipient to carry out part of 

a Federal award received by the passthrough entity. It does not include 

payments to a contractor or payments to 

an individual that is a beneficiary of a 

Federal program. A subaward may be 

provided through any form of legal 

agreement, including an agreement that 

the pass-through entity considers a 

contract. 

Subaward budgets: Roles and 

responsibilities must be defined to 

determine the level of involvement and 

efforts to increase training and outreach 

to socially disadvantaged farmers and 

ranchers. If applicable, identify each 

planned subawardee and its total 

proposed budget. Include a brief 

description of the work to be performed. 

D Other costs: Identify and describe in 

detail any other costs not identified in 

the above cost categories. Costs 

associated with an organization’s dayto-day operations such as custodial 

workers would be an example of 

‘‘Other’’ costs. Provide an itemized list 

with costs and state the basis for each 

proposed item. 

Special notes when creating your 

budget: 

1. 2501 Program funds may not be 

used for the planning, repair, 

rehabilitation, acquisition, or 

construction of a building or facility. 

Program funds may not be used for startup or financing costs for businesses or 

for capacity building. Program funds 

may not be used as small agricultural 

loans for individual farmers or used to 

incentivize individuals to attend an 

event. Large equipment purchases such 

as vehicles, semi-tractors, or 

refrigeration systems are also 

unallowable under this program. 

2. Costs must be deemed reasonable. 

This includes salaries for key personnel 

which may not exceed the prevailing 

wage rates established by the 

Department of Labor by occupation and 

geographical area (see 2 CFR part 200 

.404 and Appendix II(D)). 

3. Food for conferences may not 

exceed $10 per person per meal, not to 

exceed two meals per day. Additionally, 

cattle for demonstration projects only, 

may not exceed $4,000, which includes 

any transportation costs, feed/feeding 

lot, etc. Grant funds may NOT be used 

to pay attendees as an incentive for 

participation in conferences nor be 

advertised as such. For a list of 

unallowable costs, see 2 CFR part 200, 

subpart E. 

Attach your Budget Narrative in PDF 

format to the Mandatory Budget 

Narrative form in your Grants.gov 

package. 

Key Contacts Form: Provide first, 

middle, and last names of all key 

personnel that will be working on the 

proposed project. All organizations 

should submit at least a Project Director 

or Manager and a Financial 

Representative. Additional Key Contacts 

Forms may be used as necessary. Ensure 

this form is completed with accuracy. 

Individuals not listed on an applicants’ 

Key Contacts Form will not receive 

information about or access to data that 

concerns the applicant organization. 

Attachments Form for Appendices: 

Non-profit organizations must submit 

abbreviated Articles of Incorporation 

(must have been established at least 3 

years prior to application submission). 

All applicants should submit re ́sume ́s 

for key personnel; Letters of 

Commitment; Letters of Intent, 

Partnership Agreements, or Memoranda 

of Understanding with partner 

organizations; Letters of Support; 

501(c)(3) certification from the IRS (if 

applicable), or other supporting 

documentation which is encouraged but 

not required. Using this form in your 

Grants.gov application package, 

applicants can consolidate all 


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supplemental materials into one 

attachment or attach appendices 

documents individually. Do not include 

documents from other sections as an 

Appendix. 

DO NOT PASSWORD PROTECT ANY 

OF YOUR SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS 

OR FORMS. Password protected 

documents cannot be viewed by the 

OPPE or the Panel. 

E. Sub-Awards and Partnerships 

Funding may be used to provide 

subawards, which includes using 

subawards to fund partnerships; 

however, the lead recipient must utilize 

at least 50 percent of the total funds 

awarded, and no more than three subawards will be permitted. Subawardees 

and partners are generally responsible 

for carrying out grant activities as 

assigned. All subawardees or partners 

are subject to the requirements and 

responsibilities on the grant and must 

be a nonprofit or institution of higher 

education. This does not apply to 

contractors as they support the grant 

activities by providing goods and 

services. All applicants, including the 

lead or prime applicant if applying as a 

coalition of nonprofits, are responsible 

for ensuring that all sub-awardees 

comply with applicable requirements 

for subawards and are subject to the 

Terms and Conditions of the Agreement, 

if awarded. Applicants must provide 

documentation of a competitive bidding 

process for services, contracts, and 

products, including consultants and 

contractors, and conduct cost and price 

analyses to the extent required by 

applicable procurement regulations. 

The OPPE awards funds to one 

eligible applicant as the lead or prime 

award recipient. Indicate a lead or 

prime applicant as the responsible party 

if other organizations are named as 

partners or co-applicants or members of 

a coalition or consortium. The lead or 

prime award recipient will be held 

accountable to the OPPE for the proper 

administrative requirements and 

expenditure of all funds. 

Per OMB guidance, Federal awarding 

agencies are required to check the SAM 

Exclusions list of persons and entities 

ineligible for Federal awards. This 

requirement flows down to Federal 

Award recipients who are required to 

check SAM Exclusions for all 

subawards and contracts. Prime 

recipients must obtain prior written 

approval from the awarding agency for 

all proposed subawards, regardless of 

size, for all subawards not included in 

the original proposal (see 2 CFR 

200.308(c)(6)). For all subawards, prime 

recipients must confirm that they have 

conducted a risk-assessment of each of 

the proposed subrecipient(s) by name; 

and verify that each subrecipient does 

not have active exclusions in SAM and 

does not appear on the Suspension and 

Debarment List. 

F. Submission Dates and Times 

The closing date and time for receipt 

of proposal submissions is August 25, 

2021, at 11:59 p.m., EDT, via Grants.gov 

(www.grants.gov). Proposals received 

after the submission deadline will be 

considered late without further 

consideration. Proposals must be 

submitted through Grants.gov without 

exception. Additionally, organizations 

must also be registered in the System of 

Awards Management (SAM) at: 

www.sam.gov. Creating an account for 

both websites can take several weeks to 

receive account verification and/or PIN 

numbers. Allow sufficient time to 

complete access requirements for these 

websites. Grants.gov supports many 

Federal granting agencies and their 

applicants. Delaying the submission of 

your application until the last day could 

be result in your application not being 

received on time due to issues 

pertaining to a high volume of users, 

system maintenance, issues with 

registration, having a pending 

registration because of a backlogged 

system, and expired SAM.gov 

registrations. The proposal submission 

deadline is firm. 

G. Confidential Information 

In accordance with 2 CFR part 200, 

the names of entities submitting 

proposals, as well as proposal contents 

and evaluations, will be kept 

confidential to the extent permissible by 

law. Any information that the applicant 

wishes to have considered as 

confidential, privileged, or proprietary 

should be clearly marked as such in the 

proposal. If an applicant chooses to 

include confidential or proprietary 

information in the proposal, it will be 

kept confidential to the extent permitted 

by law. 

H. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance 

1. The OPPE may not assist individual 

applicants by reviewing draft proposals 

or providing advice on how to respond 

to evaluation criteria. However, the 

OPPE will respond to questions from 

individual applicants regarding 

eligibility criteria, administrative issues 

related to the submission of the 

proposal, and requests for clarification 

regarding the announcement. Any 

questions should be submitted to 

2501Grants@usda.gov. Additionally, the 

OPPE will host public teleconferences 

to address questions and clarify 

requirements during the open period of 

this solicitation. Dates, time, and phone 

numbers are provided on Page 1 of this 

announcement. 

2. The OPPE will post questions and 

answers relating to this funding 

opportunity during its open period on 

the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

section of our website: 

www.partnerships.usda.gov/sociallydisadvantaged-farmers-and-ranchers. 

Reviewing this section of our website 

will likely save you valuable time. The 

OPPE will update the FAQs on a weekly 

basis and conduct teleconferences on an 

as-needed basis. 

3. Visit our website at: 

www.partnerships.usda.gov/sociallydisadvantaged-farmers-and-ranchers to 

review the most recent Terms and 

Conditions for administering our grants. 

This version is subject to change upon 

new program requirements. 

4. Applicants selected for funding 

must inform their participants that 

USDA, or any of its third-party 

representatives, may contact them for 

quality assurance. 

V. Application Review Information 

A. Evaluation Criteria 

Only eligible entities whose proposals 

meet the threshold criteria in Section III 

of this announcement will be reviewed 

according to the evaluation criteria set 

forth below. Applicants should 

explicitly and fully address these 

criteria as part of their proposal 

package. Each proposal will be 

evaluated under the regulations 

established under 2 CFR part 200. 

The Panel will use a point system to 

rate each proposal, awarding a 

maximum of 105 points for nonprofit 

and community-based organizations (70 

points, plus an additional 35 priority 

points for secretarial priorities) and 100 

points for all other applicants (70 

points, plus an additional 30 

discretionary points for secretarial 

priorities). Each proposal will be 

reviewed by at least two members of the 

Panel. Panel members will review and 

score all submitted applications. The 

Panel will numerically score and rank 

each application. Funding decisions 

will be based on the Panel’s rank score. 

Final funding decisions will be made by 

the designated approving official and 

are not appealable. 

Please be patient as processing all 

submitted applications, vetting 

organizations, proposal reviews, 

approval process, and agreement 

creation is a lengthy process. All 

applicants will be notified electronically 

of their application status when final 

selections have been made and will be 

provided an opportunity for application 


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feedback as provided within the 

correspondence. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR NEW GRANTS PROPOSALS

Criteria Points 

1. Project Narrative (up to 30 points): Under this criterion, your proposal must address at least two of the five programmatic mission areas identified in Section I, Part B, Scope of Work and will be evaluated to the extent to which the 

narrative includes a well-conceived strategy for addressing those requirements and objectives (see Section IV, Part D). 

Project Narrative, for additional information. Note that applicants may assist either socially disadvantaged farmers and 

ranchers, or veteran farmers and ranchers, or both groups in their proposal. There are no additional points for addressing both of these groups. Conversely, there are no points deducted if your proposal addresses only one of these groups. 

Up to 30 of 60. 

Æ Nongovernmental and community-based organizations with a documented history working with socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers or ranchers will automatically receive five (5) priority points (per the 2018 Farm Bill 

provision for priority status). 

In addition, the OPPE may award up to 30 priority points (six points for each bullet shown below) as follows: Up to 30 of 60. 

Æ Projects with a focus on socially disadvantaged and veteran 

• heirs’ property issues/resolutions; 

• financial literacy and business planning; 

• increased profitability of agricultural operations of through effective and proven marketing opportunities to increase access to capital and markets. 

Æ Projects that align with the implementation of Secretarial priorities to: 

• Increase land access, resolve heir’s property and other land title issues, advance education and career pathways related to farming, ranching, forestry and agriculture, or increase access to credit; 

• Provide avenues for producers to be part of strengthening the food supply chain and building a food system 

that is fair, resilient, distributed, and equitable and that contributes to SDA and veteran producer’s ability to 

make a living, e.g., via more and better markets; 

• Promote the use of multiple USDA programs within USDA along with partnering and promoting assistance 

available outside of USDA (this includes state, local, tribal, and other Federal resources); and 

• Generate and maintain wealth in and for rural and tribal communities via local and regional business opportunities and other rural development efforts designed to advance economic, social and health equity. 

Æ Projects that address climate change with climate smart ag and forestry solutions including, but not limited to: 

• Building resilience to climate change and increasing agricultural productivity; 

• efficient and renewable energy practices; and 

• soil, land, and water conservation practices that preserve natural and agricultural ecosystems. 

Æ Projects that focus on removing systemic barriers and increase equitable participation in USDA’s programs and 

services, especially projects located in rural communities and persistent poverty census tracts and/or counties; 

Æ Projects designed to access and create new and fair market opportunities to assist socially disadvantaged, veteran, 

beginning farmers and/or ranchers (including youth projects). 

2. Programmatic Capability: Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to successfully complete 

and manage the proposed project considering the applicant’s: Organizational experience, staff expertise and qualifications, and the organization’s resources (see Section IV, Part D. Programmatic Capability). The organization must clearly 

document its historical successes and future plans to continue assisting socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers. 

Up to 10. 

3. Financial Management Experience: Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their demonstrated ability 

to successfully complete and manage the proposed project considering the applicants’ past performance in successfully 

completing and managing prior funding agreements (see Section IV, Part D, Financial Management Experience). Past 

performance documentation on successfully completed projects may be at the Federal, state, or local community level. 

Per 2 CFR part 200 .205, if an applicant is a prior recipient of Federal awards, their record in managing that award will 

be reviewed, including timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements and adherence to the terms and 

conditions of previous Federal awards. 

Up to 5. 

4. Tracking and Measuring: Under this criterion, the applicant’s proposal will be evaluated based upon clearly documenting 

a detailed plan for tracking and measuring their progress toward completing the expected project outputs (see Section I, 

Part C Outputs (Activities)). Applicants should indicate how they intend to clearly document the effectiveness of their 

project in achieving proposed thresholds or benchmarks in relation to stated goals and objectives (see Section I, Part C, 

2, Outcomes (Results)). For example, state how your organization plans to connect socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers or ranchers with USDA agricultural programs. Specifically, how many new or existing farmers and ranchers 

were assisted in applying for USDA’s programs and services, versus the number of farmers and ranchers approved. Applicants must clearly demonstrate how they will ensure timely and successful completion of the project with a reasonable 

time schedule for execution of the tasks associated with the project. This criterion should clearly address how you will 

quantify the tracking of your progress and measuring the success of your planned project (see Section I, Part C, 3, Performance Measures). 

Up to 15. 

5. Budget: Under this criterion, your proposed project budget will be evaluated to determine whether costs are reasonable, 

allowable, allocable, and necessary to accomplish the proposed goals and objectives (see 2 CFR part 200 .404 and Appendix II–D). The proposed budget must provide a detailed breakdown of the approximate funding used for each major 

activity (see Section IV, Part D. Budget Narrative). Additionally, indirect costs (10 percent maximum) must be appropriately applied. For a list of unallowable costs, see 2 CFR part 200, subpart E. 

Up to 10. 

C. Selection of Panel Members 

All eligible applications will be 

reviewed by the Panel. Panel members 

are selected based upon training and 

experience in assisting socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers. This assistance includes, but 

is not limited to, bringing increased 

awareness of USDA’s programs and 

services in underserved communities, 

outreach, technical assistance, 

cooperative extension services, civil 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 140 / Monday, July 26, 2021 / Notices 39999 

rights, education, statistical and 

ethnographic data collection and 

analysis, and agricultural programs, and 

are drawn from a diverse group of 

experts, including applicant peers, to 

create a balanced panel. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

Proposal Notifications and Feedback 

1. Successful applicants will be 

notified by the OPPE via telephone, 

email, and/or postal mail that its 

proposed project has been 

recommended for award. The 

notification will be sent to the Project 

Manager listed on the SF–424, 

Application for Federal Assistance. 

Project Managers should be the 

Authorized Organizational 

Representative (AOR) and authorized to 

sign on behalf of the organization. It is 

imperative that this individual is 

responsive to notifications by the OPPE. 

If the individual is no longer in the 

position, notify the OPPE immediately 

to submit the new contact for the 

application by updating your 

organization’s Key Contacts form and 

forwarding a re ́sume ́ of the new key 

personnel. The grant agreement will be 

forwarded to the recipient for execution 

and must be returned to the OPPE 

Director, who is the authorizing official. 

Once grant documents are executed by 

all parties, authorization to begin work 

will be given. At a minimum, this 

process can take up to 30 days from the 

date of notification. 

2. Within 10 days of award status 

notification, unsuccessful applicants 

may request feedback on their 

application. Feedback will be provided 

as expeditiously as possible. Feedback 

sessions will be scheduled contingent 

upon the number of requests and in 

accordance with 7 CFR 2500.026. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

All awards resulting from this 

solicitation will be administered in 

accordance with the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

Uniform Administrative Requirements, 

Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards 

codified at 2 CFR part 200, as 

supplemented by USDA implementing 

regulations at 2 CFR parts 400 and 415, 

and the OPPE Federal Financial 

Assistance Programs—General Award 

Administrative Procedures, 7 CFR part 

2500. In compliance with its obligations 

under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964 and Executive Order 13166, it is 

the policy of the OPPE to provide timely 

and meaningful access for persons with 

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) to 

projects, programs, and activities 

administered by Federal grant 

recipients. Recipient organizations must 

comply with these obligations upon 

acceptance of grant agreements as 

written in the OPPE’s Terms and 

Conditions. Following these guidelines 

is essential to the success of our mission 

to improve access to USDA programs for 

socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers. 

C. Reporting Requirement 

Your approved statement of work, 

timeline, and budget are your guiding 

documents in carrying out the activities 

of your project and for your reporting 

requirements. Familiarize yourself with 

USDA’s grants management system 

called ezFedGrants: https://

www.nfc.usda.gov/FSS/ClientServices/ 

ezFedGrants/. In accordance with 2 CFR 

part 200, the following reporting 

requirements will apply to awards 

provided under this FOA. The OPPE 

reserves the right to revise the schedule 

and format of reporting requirements as 

necessary in the award agreement. 

1. Semi-annual Progress Reports and 

Financial Reports will be required as 

follows: 

• Semi-annual Progress Reports. The 

recipient is required to provide a 

detailed narrative of project 

performance and activities as described 

in the award agreement. Semi-annual 

progress reports must be submitted to 

the designated OPPE official via 

ezFedGrants within 30 days after the 

end of each reporting period. This 

includes, but is not limited to, activities 

completed, events held, and the release 

of sign-in sheets with participants’ 

contact information. 

• Semi-annual Financial Reports. 

The recipient must submit SF 425, 

Federal Financial Report to the 

designated OPPE official via 

ezFedGrants within 30 days after the 

end of each reporting period. 

2. Final Progress and Financial 

Reports will be required upon project 

completion. The Final Progress Report 

must include a summary of the project 

or activity throughout the funding 

period, achievements of the project or 

activity, and a discussion of overall 

successes and issues experienced in 

conducting the project or project 

activities. It should convey the impact 

your project had on the communities 

you served and discuss the project’s 

accomplishments in achieving expected 

outcomes. This requirement includes, 

but is not limited to, the number of new 

USDA applicants as a result of your 

award, the number of approved 

applicants for USDA programs and 

services, increased awareness of USDA 

programs and services, etc. 

3. The final Financial Report should 

consist of a complete SF–425 indicating 

the total costs of the project. Final 

Progress and Financial Reports must be 

submitted to the designated OPPE 

official via ezFedGrants within 120 days 

after the completion of the award period 

as follows: 

Report Performance period Due date Grace period 

Form SF–425, Federal Financial 

Report & Performance Progress 

Report (Due semi-annually).

1 October thru 31 March; 1 April 

thru 30 September.

March 31; September 30 .............. 30 days until 30 April; 30 days 

until 30 October. 

Final Financial and Progress Reports.120 days after project completion 

* Dates subject to change at the discretion of OPPE. 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
40000 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 140 / Monday, July 26, 2021 / Notices 

Signed this 20th day of July 2021. 

William Ashton, 

Acting Director, Office of Partnerships and 

Public Engagement. 

[FR Doc. 2021–15702 Filed 7–23–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3412–89–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[Docket No. RBS–21–BUSINESS–0024] 

Inviting Applications for the Rural 

Energy for America Program 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Solicitation of 

Applications. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (the Agency) Notice 

of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) 

announces the acceptance of grant, 

guaranteed loan, and combined grant 

and guaranteed loan applications under 

the Rural Energy for America Program 

(REAP). The REAP program helps 

agricultural producers and rural small 

businesses reduce energy costs and 

consumption and helps meet the 

Nation’s critical energy needs. 

Applications for REAP may be 

submitted at any time throughout the 

year. This notice announces the 

deadlines, dates, and times that 

applications must be received in order 

to be considered for federal Fiscal Year 

(FY) 2022 REAP funds. The NOSA is 

being issued prior to passage of a final 

appropriations act for FY22 to allow 

potential applicants time to submit 

applications for financial assistance 

under the program and to give the 

Agency time to process applications 

within the current FY. The 

administrative requirements in effect at 

the time the application window closes 

for a competition will be applicable to 

each type of funding available under 

REAP. All REAP applications competing 

for FY22 funding will be scored 

according to the scoring criteria listed in 

the final REAP rule. Applicants who 

have already filed REAP applications for 

FY22 will be allowed to provide 

additional information if necessary for 

application scoring; the modification 

will not be treated as a new application 

nor will it alter the submission date of 

record. 

DATES: Applications for the Energy 

Audit and Renewable Energy 

Development Assistance (EA/REDA) 

grant program must be submitted via 

www.grants.gov or to Rural 

Development offices by no later than 

4:30 p.m. local time on January 31, 

2022. Applications for the Renewable 

Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency 

Improvements (RES/EEI) grant program 

must be submitted via www.grants.gov 

or to Rural Development offices by no 

later than 4:30 p.m. local time on 

October 31, 2021 to compete for 50 

percent FY22 set-aside funding and by 

no later than 4:30 p.m. local time on 

March 31, 2022 to compete for 

remaining FY22 RES/EEI grant funds. 

RES/EEI and Energy Efficient 

Equipment and Systems (EEE) 

guaranteed loan applications are 

competed on an ongoing basis. See table 

in Section IV.D. for details on REAP 

competitions. 

ADDRESSES: You are encouraged to 

contact your USDA Rural Development 

State Energy Coordinator well in 

advance of the application deadline to 

discuss your project and ask any 

questions about the application process. 

Contact information for Energy 

Coordinators can be found at https://

rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_StateEnergy

Coordinators.pdf. 

Program guidance and application 

forms may be obtained at https://

rd.usda.gov/programs-services/allprograms/energy-programs. To submit 

an electronic application via grants.gov, 

follow the instructions for the REAP 

funding announcement located at 

https://www.grants.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deb 

Yocum, Program Management Division, 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service, 

United States Department of 

Agriculture, 2920 East Court Street, 

Suite 3, Beatrice, NE 68310, 402–499– 

1198 or email CPgrants@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural BusinessCooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Energy for America Program. 

Announcement Type: Initial notice. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.868. 

Type of Instrument: Grant, guaranteed 

loan, and grant and guaranteed loan 

combined funding. 

Approximate Number of Awards: The 

estimated number of awards is 1,000 

based on the historical average grant 

size and the anticipated mandatory 

funding of $50 million for the FY. The 

number of awards will depend on the 

actual amount of funds made available 

and on the number of eligible applicants 

participating in this program. 

Administrator: The Agency 

encourages applicants to consider 

projects that will advance the following 

key priorities: 

• Assisting Rural communities 

recover economically from the impacts 

of the COVID–19 pandemic, particularly 

disadvantaged communities. 

• Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects. 

• Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. 

I. Federal Award Information 

Type of Award: Competitive grants 

and guaranteed loans. 

Total Funding: Approximately $50 

million mandatory funding. 

Maximum Award: See Funding 

Restrictions in Section II of this notice. 

Minimum Award: See Funding 

Restrictions in Section II of this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 24 months for 

grants. Guaranteed loans are governed 

by the loan terms. 

Anticipated Award Date: Prior to 

September 30, 2022. 

II. Available Funds Information 

Program Level Funds. This notice is 

announcing deadline times and dates 

for applications to be submitted for 

REAP funds that may be received from 

the congressional enactment of a fullyear appropriation for FY22. The 

Agency will continue to process 

applications received under this 

announcement and should REAP 

receive appropriated funds, these funds 

will be announced on the following 

websites: https://rd.usda.gov/programsservices/rural-energy-america-programrenewable-energy-systems-energyefficiency and https://rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/rural-energy-americaprogram-energy-audit-renewableenergy-development-assistance. 

Expenses incurred in developing 

applications will be at the applicant’s 

risk. 

Types of Funding and Allocations. 

REAP has two types of funding 

assistance: (1) Renewable Energy 

Systems, Energy Efficiency 

Improvements (RES/EEI) and Energy 

Efficient Equipment and Systems (EEE) 

and (2) Energy Audit and Renewable 

Energy Development Assistance (EA/ 

REDA). The RES/EEI provides grants 

and guaranteed loans to agricultural 

producers and rural small businesses for 

the purchase and installation of 

renewable energy systems and to make 

energy efficiency improvements. The 

EEE provides guaranteed loans only to 

agricultural producers to purchase and 

install energy efficient equipment and 

systems for agricultural production and 

processing. The EA/REDA is available to 

a unit of State, Tribal, or local 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES